Reviews by Eriktheipaman:

More User Reviews:

On tap at Sessions yesterday.Poured a deep amber with a thinner off white head atop.Alot of brown sugar and caramel malts in the nose,a decent shot of resiny hop lingers.Quite sweet and cake-like on the palate,alot of brown sugar and dark fruit,again there is a decent shot of resiny hops in a lingering finish.It's hybrid to me between an English and American barleywine with its big sweet malty flavors and hoppedup finish,not bad but not overly drinkable.

A - Pours a honey golden brown into the glass. No head to speak of appears. There's a very, very fine sheen of lace on most of the surface, with a small island of fine bubbles in the middle. Held to a full-spectrum light, the beer is a sunset orange-red and somewhat opaque.

S - Nicely toasted malts sit underneath an ABV-supported, somewhat astringent mix of grassy citrus floral notes, flinty metallic, light fruit juices (apple and pear), and sugary caramels and hard candy. As the beer warms in the glass, the sugars begin to better shape the nose. This may well be a beer that really needs to warm up to present properly.

T - While noticeably more focused on the toasted malts and caramels in the start of the quaff, big hops of equal parts citrus and resin push their way forward and take over. The finish is a dollop of honey, orange, and caramel in the center of the tongue surrounded by herbal bitters along the sides. The ABV is well-masked in the taste profile, but quickly shows up warming the tummy.

O - Quite hop-forward and somewhat unbalanced for a barleywine. The components of the nose don't really compliment each other, but instead present a hodge-podge that begs to be sorted out. I like to enjoy the nose of a big beer apart from its taste, but I really couldn't do that with this beer - too much conflict. This isn't a barley wine I could recommend unless someone is specifically looking for a pretty bitter IIPA / barleywine mash-up.

Had on tap at the Pig & Fiddle, MinneapolisNose: rich winey large pitted dark fruit esters, hop citrus.Pours a deep brilliant rich garnet under a thin head. Has some legs, very thin lace.Rich complex malts blend with large pitted fruits - mainly plum, possible cherry, and slowly give way to citrus rind hop bitterness that dries on the finish with a touch of hop astringency.Sweetness up front is balanced by the alcohol and hops.Chewy, oily, medium low carbonation.A solid sit by the fireplace and watch the snow fall beer.

This beer is a looker. Poured from its tiny can into my glass, it rests a thick, murky, rich orange-red. It grows a lightly tinted head to two fingers and the diminishment is never beyond one finger. This is a rich, creamy, frothy head that pillows the beer beautifully. As the beer subsides down the glass, the foamy creaminess that's left in a barely-tattered sheet is more head than lacing, coating the glass entirely.Toasty breads with hints of caramel mingle with a pithy hoppiness. There's actually a very interesting (not offensive) note of cheese, sort of medium cheddar, in there too. I think it's just how my nose is picking up the pith and resin playing with the malts.This is simply an excellently constructed barleywine. The way the flavors play out together just works so well. Along with the bread crust and toasty notes and dark fruits and caramel that never get too sweet balancing so well with floral and resinous hops bitterness that never gets too bitter, I have to wonder how difficult it is to keep it from going too far in either direction yet marvel that it doesn't. The flavor ends up favoring the hops, though they never overpower, and alcohlic warmth and flavor certainly makes itself known.It's almost hard to believe how exceptionally creamy this beer is. Thick and rich, I expect some smoothness, but this exceeds my expectations in that regard. Combine that with a crispness that doesn't go overboard but gives support and liveliness every sip, and the feel of this beer is nearly perfect.This may be my new favorite American barleywine, reviews be damned. Old Ruffian's not easy to upseat, but whatever people are missing here is gain for those who know what this beer should be.